Kentucky was the clear favorite to win the NCAA tournament this year and, of course, delivered on that promise. But more than one bracket—including this author’s and President Barack Obama’s–was completely busted when North Carolina’s star point guard went down with a broken wrist (and fractured elbow, though this injury wasn’t discovered until nearly two months later) mid-way through the tournament. At this point, it’s not worth speculating whether the presence of a healthy Kendall Marshall would have furthered the Tar Heels’ championship dreams: every player in this mock draft will be judged ultimately on future performances.
We need look only to this year’s NBA Finals to see a great example of a point guard who has proven to be among the best in the league and totally exceeded draft-day expectations: Mario Chalmers. Just kidding. But while I’m not prepared to say that Kendall Marshall will prove to be the pleasantly-surprising offensive threat that Russell Westbrook (the player I had in mind) has proven to be, I do think Marshall could be quite good in the NBA and, probably more importantly, would help facilitate a cohesive offense.
Portland saw its version of a big three (Lamarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, and Brandon Roy) disintegrate with the knees of Oden and Roy, neither of whom will play in the NBA next year (as of this writing, though rumors of a Brandon Roy return in the 2012-2013 season do exist). What happened to Portland is truly sad. Just watch this video, uploaded around January 2008. There were once high hopes for this team; but these hopes have long since evaporated and, in terms of cultural relevance in “Portlandia,” the professional basketball team ranks, in some eyes, lower than their professional soccer team.
There are, however, some signs of hope for the team. In this mock draft, Portland chose center Andre Drummond with their 6th pick. With Aldridge, a 2012 all-star, at the power forward position, Portland could present a solid frontcourt next season (this view is optimistic vis-à-vis the Drummond pick, who could be a bust, especially since this is Portland we’re talking about). The big question mark is Nicolas Batum, who may be an elite player or may just play one on TV (while commanding elite-player money). The jury is still out on shooting guard Wesley Matthews, who will play his fourth season next year. Operating under the Steve Nash principle (good point guards can make otherwise ineffective players substantially more effective), it stands to reason that Matthews, an 86% free throw shooter last year, could get “his shot” with more frequency if Marshall can bring an offensive spark and make great passes.
Again, this is all very optimistic—but this is a city that could use a healthy dose of optimism and faith in the future. Here’s looking at you, Portland.
Escobar on NBA 